Silly But Logical (The Test)
by Dark Raven Wrote
Summary: It is early spring when Cedric Diggory is fired from the Falmouth Falcons. Cedric is standing on Harry's doorstep not two hours after the Prophet hits the stands.


Wizarding Games Bingo on hd_writers lj, week #2

Prompts: All 9 of them (Falmouth Falcons, Golden Snitch, Cedric Diggory, Ravenclaw, Chaser, wizarding chess, match, Chocolate Frog Card Collection & Quidditch)

(Yeah I know Cedric was a Seeker in school but he's just that talented.)

* * *

**Silly But Logical (The Test)**

It is early spring when Cedric Diggory is fired from the Falmouth Falcons. It makes the front page of the _Daily Prophet_ the next morning.

_14th March 2014_

_'Falmouth Falcon Chaser Crashes!_

_Breaking new! The Falmouth Falcon's star Chaser, Cedric Diggory, crashed out of the Quidditch league yesterday after a reportedly explosive argument with the clubs owner, manager and coach, Cho Chang. _

_Chang, a former school Quidditch rival (Ravenclaw's Seeker) and rumoured old flame, refused to comment on the matter. However, eyewitnesses have confirmed her involvement and raised voices. It is this reporter's humble opinion that she may be feeling jealousy as a jilted lover at Diggory's recent evening meet ups with the infamous Socialite Pansy Parkinson. (See issues #4791, 22_ _nd_ _ January 2014 for more details.)_

_Diggory's career ending spat...'_

Cedric is standing on Harry's doorstep not two hours after the copy hits the stands. He doesn't ask for help and Harry doesn't offer, there's already a mutual agreement in place that they need to stick together. Harry hasn't really kept in touch with many people from school – well, there's the obvious people but excluding the obligatory annual letter with his old house mates, he can count them all on one hand – but for some reason Cedric has stuck. And now they're both professional Quidditch players, well, it was nice to already know someone when he joined the circuit.

When Cedric hit his stride the year before, they both knew there would come a day when he'd need somewhere to hide out, somewhere the paps wouldn't look for him because Harry has plenty of experience in that area. It isn't a well known fact that they're friends outside of the club – especially as the entire world seems to think the first team are mortal enemies with the subs and Harry is still a lowly second Seeker for the moment. He barely ever gets a chance to go after the Golden Snitch in a real match any more but the pay is still good, there is the promise of a future and, hey, it's a job doing something he absolutely loves.

The house is a mess. Draco is still moving in his boxes and boxes of utter shite and half of them are still sitting out in the hall. That's another thing. Cedric is one of the few people that knows about Harry and Draco. There is junk on every surface, potions ingredients wedged between everything, papers stacked anally straight but perched precariously and a lone wizarding chess board is still set up – white king checkmated still where Harry regularly gets his arse whipped – on the coffee table.

"It was her idea in the first place," he says, absently flicking Draco's Chocolate Frog Card Collection open when they wander through to the kitchn. The first page is taken up by Dumbledore and Snape – a new card upon Harry's insistence. Harry's own card is there as well, which they had argued extensively about. Draco is usually orderly to the point of obsessive and his collection is representative of it. But he had been adamant that he had wanted Harry there too. Of course, they settled it quickly enough - Harry has a habit of letting Draco get his way when it comes to these small, inconsequential things.

They broke in their new kitchen table that night.

Cedric is currently sitting at said kitchen table, totally oblivious to the fact and that makes Harry smile secretively before he nods consolingly.

"What was?" Harry asks, lodging on a chair half filled with Draco's potion development journals.

"The dates. With Parkinson." He flips through the first couple of pages in the _Most infamous of the famous_ section before turning grave eyes on Harry. "Most annoying woman in the history of annoying women, by the way." He looks back down again, grimacing at the leer on Salazar Slytherin's immortal face. "Said we should hide our relationship or it would look like I was being favoured."

"You mean the _Prophet_ actually got something right for once?"

"Some of it," Cedric says, flashing him a self-deprecating smile. "But we mostly talked about the most popular fashion trend she started recently. I wouldn't call them perfect examples of dates. But it was all Cho's idea to keep the heat off of us. And then all this week she's been badgering me about whether I'm going to do it again."

"Well, what did you say?"

"I said if she thought I should, then I would. And then she's still badgering and badgering."

"She was jealous, you're dating someone else."

"Fake dating! And it was her idea!"

"I'd chop Potter's balls off and boil them if he ever agreed to something like that," is Draco's introduction as he sidles into the room, tossing another journal behind Harry's back and sliding his fingertips comfortably over his shoulders as he passes.

"But _she_ suggested it in the first place!" Cedric wails, flicking his arms out dramatically.

"It was a test, you imbecile," Draco answers, filling two glasses with water and passing one to Harry automatically. His fingers never stop rubbing at his temples. "She's a Ravenclaw, she was waiting to see what you'd do. You failed." And, as Harry expected, that is the end of Draco's input. He only has so much patience for things he deems inconsequential and/or idiotic, apparently he has already reached his quota for the day.

Cedric is looking flummoxed, mouth and cheeks puffing while he tries to think of which question he wants to ask first. Harry decides it is kinder to save him the trouble and answers. "You need to go and apologise. Then tell her you won't do it again, that it was a silly but logical idea and you weren't comfortable with it in the first place."

Their house is quiet again before Diggory's visit could last more than ten minutes.

"'Silly but logical'?" Draco murmurs from the sofa, where he has settled with his water and a glossy sports tabloid, wedged between a box of jars and the mountain that was a fresh pile of shirts that morning. "That sounds awfully familiar."

"All of your ideas are logical, Malfoy. Stop fishing for complements," Harry huffs.

"True. Very true. Well, in any case, you weren't stupid enough to fall for it in the first place." He sounds pleased by this. "Hufflepuffs," he sighs heavily, shaking his head and darting his eyes at the kitchen table over Harry's shoulder.


End file.
